The present invention relates to a bill handling device which is installed in a game hall where, for example, pachinko machines, slot machines (hereinafter, collectively referred to as a “game machine”) and the like are installed, and which is capable of being disposed between game machines.
Generally, in a game hall such as a pachinko hall, for game player's convenience, in a region (also referred to as an “bank”) where many game machines are installed, a vertically oriented game media lending apparatus (also referred to as a “sandwich apparatus”) is installed between adjacent game machines to lend pachinko balls, coins (game media) and the like. The game media lending apparatus is attached to a frame fixed and installed between game machines, and actually lends game media and/or transmits a signal to urge to lend game media to a game machine by a bill, coin, prepaid card or the like being inserted through a corresponding insertion slot. For example, the bill handling device configured to handle bills is provided with a bill identifying portion that identifies an inserted bill, and a bill storage portion (safety box) that stores bills judged as being valid in the bill identifying portion.
For example, as disclosed in JP H06-162320, in order to feed bills inserted by a player, the above-mentioned bill handling device is provided with a pair of feeding belts wound around tension rollers, and pinch rollers in contact with the tension roller portions, and a bill inserted from an bill insertion slot is guided to a nip portion between the tension roller and pinch roller by a guide member, and further, guided along the bill identifying portion by the feeding belts. Then, a bill judged as being valid in the bill identifying portion is further fed downstream without change, and stacked and stored in the bill storage portion according to predetermined operation procedures.
In game halls, to effectively use the space, it is desired to efficiently install a large number of game machines, and with this desire, the bill handling device installed between the game machines is also required to reduce its size as much as possible. In other words, in the bill handling device, in order to reduce dimensions in the width direction, depth direction and vertical direction, it is necessary to effectively use the space for structural members disposed inside the casing, mode of their arrangement and the like.
In the bill handling device as disclosed in above-mentioned JP H06-162320, the pinch roller is brought into press-contact with the tension roller, around which the feeding belt is wound, in the direction perpendicular to the bill feeding direction. In a bill ejection portion, a predetermined distance is reserved from the nip portion between the tension roller and pinch roller on the ejection side. Therefore, when these mechanisms are applied to a sandwich apparatus installed between the machines, it is not possible to obtain sufficient size reduction. In other words, since the pinch roller is brought into press-contact in the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction, it is necessary to dispose force-applying means for the press-contact, and provide the space in the press-contact direction corresponding to the outer diameter of the pinch roller. Further, on the ejection side, subsequent processing (processing for stacking and storing the bill) can only be performed after a rear end of the bill is passed through the bill ejection portion, and some space is thus wasted in the bill handling direction.
Accordingly, such a bill handling device is required that enables various structural members to be efficiently disposed in the limited installation space and thus enables the compact size.